7/8/2023
Justin Duty is Hard Charger in Gopher 50, John 10th at Cottage Grove
Double Duty Motorsports driver Justin Duty returned to the seat of his Don Frank Floors No. 15 Dirt Late Model over the weekend for the three-day NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 program at Deer Creek Speedway (Spring Valley, Minnesota).
The 44th annual event, co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) and Lucas Oil Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA), kicked off on Thursday at the 3/8-mile oval with 38 cars competing for the $5,000 opening-night winner’s payout. Duty finished eighth in his heat race and seventh his B-Main, meaning he was unable to transfer to the night’s 25-lap feature.
The following evening brought 37 Late Models to the track in search of another $5,000 top prize in the event’s second preliminary feature. Duty came home seventh in his heat and sixth in his B-Feature, missing out on making the 25–lap A-Main by two positions.
On Saturday, 38 Late Model entries filled the pit area for the Gopher 50’s $50,000-to-win finale. Duty finished fourth in his B-Main, but locked into the 75-lap main event thanks to an MLRA emergency provisional.
He started shotgun on the field in the 28th position, but motored forward 13 spots to finish 15th and earn the evening’s Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race award.
After the weekend action, Duty sits seventh in the MLRA point standings.
Meanwhile, nearly 1900 miles away, Justin’s father John Duty was piloting his No. 5 Dirt Late Model at Cottage Grove Speedway (Cottage Grove, Oregon) on Saturday. A field of 31 Late Models took part in the quarter-mile track’s Virgil Hanson Memorial Logger’s Cup.
Duty started 11th in the A-Main and clicked off one position to come home with a 10th-place result.
Full rundowns can be found at www.lucasdirt.com and www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson image